The History Of Modern Thanksgiving

[Calamity Kris]

I saw a movie on how modern Thanksgiving staples were created.  It's really fascinating.  I will post the individual articles until I can find the actual movie.

{Actually, the movie is on the History Channel.  If you have a subscription to watch is, it's quite interesting.}  

 

Cranberry Sauce.

 

Green Bean Casserole

 

Stove Top Stuffing

 

Butterball  (This is the best I could do.)
 

How Marketing Played A Roll

 

Thanksgiving Leftovers

[Ozark Huckleberry]

The real first Thanksgiving

 

 

[watab kid]

im content knowing what i was taught in high school regarding this - true or false - it left me feeling thankful , im also content with our family traditions which also are based in thankfulness , we will continue our festive get-to-gether in spite of any attack that may be perpetrated or effort to change the narrative 

[Marshal Mo Hare, SASS #45984]

I made green bean casserole once. Can't see what all the fuss is about.

 

Ok, i looked around, maybe the fascination is "open six cans - assemble - bake - voila side dish"

 

I found 8 ways to reheat leftovr GBC. I prefer to make dishes that don't have leftovers.

 

 

Edited November 16, 2025 by Marshal Mo Hare, SASS #45984

[Calamity Kris]

10 hours ago, watab kid said:

im content knowing what i was taught in high school regarding this - true or false - it left me feeling thankful , im also content with our family traditions which also are based in thankfulness , we will continue our festive get-to-gether in spite of any attack that may be perpetrated or effort to change the narrative 

 

I appreciate that.  The intent of my articles are to show the science behind how some of the staples we make/use for modern day Thanksgiving dinner were created. My intent was nothing more than that. 

 

8 hours ago, Marshal Mo Hare, SASS #45984 said:

I made green bean casserole once. Can't see what all the fuss is about.

 

Ok, i looked around, maybe the fascination is "open six cans - assemble - bake - voila side dish"

 

I found 8 ways to reheat leftovr GBC. I prefer to make dishes that don't have leftovers.

 

I've made GBC once.  Uno was not a fan of the crispy onions so that was our last time.  I found the whole purpose of GBC's creation to be interesting.  Sell more soup.

 

We have quite a few meals with leftovers because the cafeteria food at work SUCKS.

 

I did find the invention of TV dinners to be really interesting.  It was an offshoot of Thanksgiving leftovers, if you will.

[Stump Water]

GBC sans cans.

 

Fresh green beans, fresh mushrooms... it's a completely different dish than the "canned" version.

 

Yes, it takes longer.  But once you have it you'll never go back to "canned".

 

https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/best-ever-green-bean-casserole-recipe-1950575

[Subdeacon Joe]

13 hours ago, watab kid said:

im content knowing what i was taught in high school regarding this - true or false - it left me feeling thankful , im also content with our family traditions which also are based in thankfulness , we will continue our festive get-to-gether in spite of any attack that may be perpetrated or effort to change the narrative 

 

The two, the myths and traditions surrounding it, and digging into the way it actually happened,  don't have to be mutually exclusive. And digging into history isn't an  "attack that may be perpetrated to change the narrative."

 

Nothing wrong with showing that the Indians did more for the colony than give them a few hadfulls of seeds, say "Plant these together.  Oh, and bury a fish with them. "  or that they didn't show up at the gate with a couple of turkeys,  a squirrel, and some pumpkin pies. 

 

Does it really diminish our traditional Thanksgiving Feast a la Norman Rockwell to know that it was more like a 3 day somewhat raucous party with drinking, demonstrations and competitions of shooting,  and foot races? 

 

Sort of like Church history.  We all know the Hollywood version, everyone scrupulously clean, with freshly washed hair,  walking peacefully with hands together in prayer.  Do just a little digging and you find that, while the early Fathers of the Church were pious and thoughtful men, they were also strong, vigorous, and opinionated. Often vain and bullheaded. Prelates riding hell-bent-for-leather to get to council meetings,  shouting matches, possibly even fisticufs.  Doesn't take away from it. In my view it even enhances it,  by showing these saints as men, not  some plaster statues high up on unobtainable pillars. 

 

ADDED:

 

One of my favorite Thanksgiving Day family traditions was getting up early and my dad would take my brothers and I shooting at Crystal Silica in Oceanside.  One of the pits that had played out of good sand had been turned into a shooting range for employees.  Nothing fancy,  just a few benches in the pit with 3 high sides, all gravel, sand, and clay. I think the biggest rock I ever saw come out of there was about 2 inches or so. When they cleaned the screens sometimes there were small rocks, an inch or so diameter,  pure white quartz, well rounded by the stream action that had deposited them there.  We called them "Spark Rocks" because you could take 2 of them,  strike them together like a match, and get some amazing sparks.

Edited November 16, 2025 by Subdeacon Joe

[Subdeacon Joe]

33 minutes ago, Stump Water said:

GBC sans cans.

 

Fresh green beans, fresh mushrooms... it's a completely different dish than the "canned" version.

 

Yes, it takes longer.  But once you have it you'll never go back to "canned".

 

https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/best-ever-green-bean-casserole-recipe-1950575

 

I've sort of made that.   No half-and-half, and start with diced bacon.

[watab kid]

7 hours ago, Calamity Kris said:

 

I appreciate that.  The intent of my articles are to show the science behind how some of the staples we make/use for modern day Thanksgiving dinner were created. My intent was nothing more than that. 

 

 

I've made GBC once.  Uno was not a fan of the crispy onions so that was our last time.  I found the whole purpose of GBC's creation to be interesting.  Sell more soup.

 

We have quite a few meals with leftovers because the cafeteria food at work SUCKS.

 

I did find the invention of TV dinners to be really interesting.  It was an offshoot of Thanksgiving leftovers, if you will.

cool , i can get with that , 

[watab kid]

6 hours ago, Subdeacon Joe said:

 

The two, the myths and traditions surrounding it, and digging into the way it actually happened,  don't have to be mutually exclusive. And digging into history isn't an  "attack that may be perpetrated to change the narrative."

 

Nothing wrong with showing that the Indians did more for the colony than give them a few hadfulls of seeds, say "Plant these together.  Oh, and bury a fish with them. "  or that they didn't show up at the gate with a couple of turkeys,  a squirrel, and some pumpkin pies. 

 

Does it really diminish our traditional Thanksgiving Feast a la Norman Rockwell to know that it was more like a 3 day somewhat raucous party with drinking, demonstrations and competitions of shooting,  and foot races? 

 

Sort of like Church history.  We all know the Hollywood version, everyone scrupulously clean, with freshly washed hair,  walking peacefully with hands together in prayer.  Do just a little digging and you find that, while the early Fathers of the Church were pious and thoughtful men, they were also strong, vigorous, and opinionated. Often vain and bullheaded. Prelates riding hell-bent-for-leather to get to council meetings,  shouting matches, possibly even fisticufs.  Doesn't take away from it. In my view it even enhances it,  by showing these saints as men, not  some plaster statues high up on unobtainable pillars. 

 

ADDED:

 

One of my favorite Thanksgiving Day family traditions was getting up early and my dad would take my brothers and I shooting at Crystal Silica in Oceanside.  One of the pits that had played out of good sand had been turned into a shooting range for employees.  Nothing fancy,  just a few benches in the pit with 3 high sides, all gravel, sand, and clay. I think the biggest rock I ever saw come out of there was about 2 inches or so. When they cleaned the screens sometimes there were small rocks, an inch or so diameter,  pure white quartz, well rounded by the stream action that had deposited them there.  We called them "Spark Rocks" because you could take 2 of them,  strike them together like a match, and get some amazing sparks.

i misunderstood where this was going i guess , i appreciate history and i have always believed the indians contributed more and in some ways taught .\, thanks for the clarification 

[Jabez Cowboy,SASS # 50129]

The USA borrowed the "Thanksgiving celebration" from Canada, where it was celebrated decades before the first USA one...

 

Jabez Cowboy 

[watab kid]

ya , we are slow to warm to some things and too quick on others 

[Marshal Mo Hare, SASS #45984]

I like to get a bag of fresh cranberries this time of year and keep in the freezer so I can make cranberry bread a few times a year.

 

I also like to make cranberry sauce.

 

 

[Stump Water]

4 hours ago, Marshal Mo Hare, SASS #45984 said:

I also like to make cranberry sauce.

 

Like the GBC I posted above, cranberry sauce made from scratch is a whole 'nother ball game compared to pre-fab.

[Marshal Mo Hare, SASS #45984]

Just for giggles I checked out jellied cranberry sauce at the supermarket today.  In the past, one could use a can opener on both ends of the can and push out a pretty cranberry “log”. Now cans are no longer sealed on both ends because they are extruded and sealed on one end.  Only way I can see to get a log is to poke a hole in the extruded end and wait for gravity to take over.  Maybe shake the can a bit.

Edited November 17, 2025 by Marshal Mo Hare, SASS #45984

[Subdeacon Joe]

This one is idiot simple:

Thanksgiving Cranberry Sauce

 

Ingredients

One 12-ounce bag fresh or frozen cranberries

1 cup sugar (7 ounces) - feel free to reduce this, I like it made with about 2/3 of a cup.

1/2 cup water

2 strips zest and 2 tablespoons (30ml) orange juice (optional) - Like hell it's optional

1 cinnamon stick or 2.

Pinch kosher salt

 

 

Directions

Combine all ingredients in a 3-quart saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce to a simmer. Cook, stirring occasionally, until berries start to pop. Press berries against side of pan with a wooden spoon and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until berries are completely broken down and achieve a jam-like consistency, about 10 minutes total. Remove from heat and allow to cool about 30 minutes. Stir in water in 1-tablespoon increments to adjust to desired consistency. Cranberry sauce can be served immediately or stored in the refrigerator for several months.

 

Yes, it really will last several months. We had about 3 pounds of cranberries from the food bank and made a large batch of this. Made it just before Thanksgiving, it was still good at Candlemas.

Edited November 18, 2025 by Subdeacon Joe

[Marshal Mo Hare, SASS #45984]

1 hour ago, Subdeacon Joe said:

 

2 strips zest and 2 tablespoons (30ml) juice (optional) - Like hell it's optional

 

Orange?

[Subdeacon Joe]

58 minutes ago, Marshal Mo Hare, SASS #45984 said:

Orange?

Orange. 

Went in and fixed it.   Thanks. 

Edited November 18, 2025 by Subdeacon Joe

[Marshal Mo Hare, SASS #45984]

22 minutes ago, Subdeacon Joe said:

Orange. 

Went in and fixed it.   Thanks. 

 

[Marshal Mo Hare, SASS #45984]

Cranberry Sauce — my recipe

Same as Joe’s but for the orange…  

 Supreme an orange and quarter the wedges

[Subdeacon Joe]

On 11/16/2025 at 7:16 PM, Jabez Cowboy,SASS # 50129 said:

The USA borrowed the "Thanksgiving celebration" from Canada, where it was celebrated decades before the first USA one...

 

Jabez Cowboy 

 

 

We both borrowed it from the harvest festivals in Mother England.

[DeaconKC]

[Marshal Mo Hare, SASS #45984]

1 hour ago, DeaconKC said:

It will be a challenge to get it out of the can like that now

[Jabez Cowboy,SASS # 50129]

On 11/18/2025 at 9:01 AM, Subdeacon Joe said:

 

 

We both borrowed it from the harvest festivals in Mother England.

I find that to be highly doubtful, as the population here was mostly Native, Scottish, French with a sprinkling of Irish ! 

And there was NO love lost between them and the English... The few English men were at best tolerated, if not out right hated.  

[Subdeacon Joe]

4 minutes ago, Jabez Cowboy,SASS # 50129 said:

I find that to be highly doubtful, as the population here was mostly Native, Scottish, French with a sprinkling of Irish ! 

And there was NO love lost between them and the English... The few English men were at best tolerated, if not out right hated.  

 

OK, I can buy that. How about "Western European harvest festivals?"

[Marshal Mo Hare, SASS #45984]

[Marshal Mo Hare, SASS #45984]

I went looking for other variations on cranberry sauce. basic recipe plus

 

. 1 Granny Smith apple, peeled, cored, diced with a cup of apple juice or cider.

 

. 1 diced jalopeno without seeds and pulp

 

many other fruit variations

[Subdeacon Joe]

The Social Club here at the mobile home park had their Thanksgiving dinner last Thursday.  Friday it was posted in the park FB page that there were leftovers, lots, in the refrigerator in the clubhouse, help yourselves.  That included four turkey carcasses, each in individual bags.  I moseyed on over, got some of the meat, some of the dressing/stuffing a bag of chopped celery, and one of the carcasses.  Got home, picked about a pound of meat off the carcass and bones, broke down the breast and back, put a little oil in my Instant Pot pressure cooker, added a quartered onion, a few peeled and roughly chopped carrots, some of the celery, the bones, and a few peppercorns.  Poured in water, and set it for 90 minutes.  When time was up and pressure released, I strained it, put the liquor back into the pot, set it to the medium saute for 45 minutes to reduce.  Ended up with about 2 cups of wonderful stock.  Went back Saturday, there was still one carcass left, so I did it again. That stock I made into gravy, and added some of the meat I had chopped fine. 

Sunday the turkey I had bought at Safeway (39 cents a pound) was thawed enough to bone out. Neck, wing tips, and carcass went into the pressure cooker, along with water.  Nothing else.  No salt, no peppercorns, no onions or other vegetable matter, just water and the turkey.  90 minutes, strain, reduce, and DANG!  That's GOOD! Set up really solid, too.  I baked off the wings sans tips in a little of that stock, about 2 hours and covered at 375, moist and fall off the bone tender.

I had to look up how long to cook just the wings. I had thought, "Well, they're just big chicken wings, so, about 50 minutes.  WRONG!  Every receipt I looked at said 2 hours or more at 375.  

[Marshal Mo Hare, SASS #45984]

[John Kloehr]

I'll be making mashed potatoes tomorrow. Also cube steak since it isn;tTurkey Day yet, but will have lots of mashed potatoes. Maybe more than one casserole. Back when the colonies were settled, potatoes were not part of the spread, and were best eaten with a smear of a certain clay to absorb the poison in them.

 

Earlier discussion regarding Green Bean Casserole? Absolutely different made from scratch. Also too much work this year to do so.

 

Finally, I leave you all with these:

 

 

[Calamity Kris]

I'm still working 50+ hour weeks.  I decided to go the Honeybaked Turkey and trimmings route instead of making anything myself.  I'm too stinking tired to get up early and put myself through all this.  Serving for 6 equates to about $10.00 a person.  Worth it to me.

[Cypress Sun]

On 11/17/2025 at 11:35 AM, Marshal Mo Hare, SASS #45984 said:

Just for giggles I checked out jellied cranberry sauce at the supermarket today.  In the past, one could use a can opener on both ends of the can and push out a pretty cranberry “log”. Now cans are no longer sealed on both ends because they are extruded and sealed on one end.  Only way I can see to get a log is to poke a hole in the extruded end and wait for gravity to take over.  Maybe shake the can a bit.

 

That's the way I do it. Pop a hole in the extruded end with an ice pick or awl, use a can opener on the other end, shake the can a little and out comes the log. If you need it faster than that, run a knife around the inside edge of the can first.

[Rip Snorter]

Funny! I preferred the canned cranberry with berries so for the longest time when we were kids had my sister convinced it was poisoned  Still serve both

12 minutes ago, Cypress Sun said:

 

That's the way I do it. Pop a hole in the extruded end with an ice pick or awl, use a can opener on the other end, shake the can a little and out comes the log. If you need it faster than that, run a knife around the inside edge of the can first.

Both methods you suggested work just fine.